New Global Trade Union Partnership Up and Running

New Global Trade Union Partnership Up and Running: union organising and recognition, casino capitalism and public policy in first action plan

Brussels, 10 January 2007 (ITUC OnLine): A new Council of Global Unions*, including the ITUC, Global Union Federations and the OECD Trade Union Advisory Committee has been formally created at a meeting in Brussels on 9 and 10 January. The founding Agreement for the Council, signed by top leaders of each of its participating organisations, is based on a "common determination to organise, defend human and trade union rights and labour standards everywhere, and promote the growth of trade unions for the benefit of all working women and men and their families". Each organisation involved is represented by three members on the Council.

Following the creation of the ITUC last November, the new initiative builds on decades of cooperation between the sectoral and confederal trade union bodies at the world level.

Fred van Leeuwen, General Secretary of the Education International who was elected Chair of the Council, said "This historic step will enable us to meet the tremendous challenges facing workers more systematically and with greater impact, while retaining the autonomy of each of the Council's members. Our talks this week have revealed how much more we can do together to confront global forces that work against the interests of working people, and we will carry forward the momentum of this new accord to achieve just that".

ITUC General Secretary Guy Ryder commented "the new partnership gives us a key platform for coordinated global solidarity, mobilisation, campaigning and advocacy. We have decided to start work right away on three joint initiatives, concerning union recognition and organising, "financialisation" in the world economy, and global public policy focusing on public services and tackling poverty. Our existing work together in a wide range of other areas will continue and be strengthened, and further new initiatives will be developed as we move ahead". Ryder will serve as Secretary of the Council, and Building Workers' International General Secretary Anita Normark was elected as its Vice-Chair.

The Council will meet annually, with the General Secretaries of each participating organisation and a Coordinating Committee overseeing its work. The Coordinating Committee comprises Van Leeuwen, Ryder, Normark and UNI General Secretary Philip Jennings.

The members of the Council include: ITUC, OECD-TUAC, and the Global Union Federations BWI, EI, IAEA, ICEM, IFJ, ITF, ITGLWF, IUF, PSI, UNI.

Photos of the signing ceremony to create the new Council: http://www.ituc-csi.org/spip.php?article554

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